Train-pipe coupling.



B. R. KOZLOWSKI.

I TRAIN PIPE GOUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JA N. 30, 1907. RENEWED FEBpZO, 190 8. RENEWED OCT. 10, 1908. 90 ,013.

Patented Dec. 2 9, 1908.

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LG. m ST wm mw mm n 1m Km APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 30, 1907. BEHBWEDIEB. 20, 1908. RENEWED OUT. 10, 1908. 908,01 3. Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

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UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFF C BOLESLAW R. KOZLOWSKI; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRXIrI-FIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Applieation filed January 30, 1907, seam. 354315." Renewed retitari 20, 1908 seam. 416,927. Again renewed 0ct..10, 1908. Serial No. 457,136...

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BOLESLIAW R.=KOZLOW sKI, citizen of the United States, residing-at Chicago, in the'county of Cook :andState of Illinois, have invented certain new-and useful Improvements in Train-Pipe, Couplings,

of which the following: is a specification.

This invention relates -to train pipe couplings, and has forits object to efiect improvements in a device of this character whereby the train pi es will be automatically coupled and uncoup ed when the cars are brought together and coupled-by impact of the cars or separated after uncoupling of .thesame- To this end the invention contemplates the employment of companion ipe: coupling members suspended from,,the draw bars and the substructure of the car and .yieldingly urged in the direction of the opposed coupling member toeffectan automaticeoupling when the membersare brought together by the operation of coupling the cars. h The invention further contemplates the employment of means tending to obviate friction and facilitate; promptadjustment of the pipecoupling members whenthe cars are coupled to effect thedirect ,appositionofthe memberswhich in the uncoupled position may notbe. accuratelyalinedg; .4. i 3; \Nith the above and; otherob'eets; in view, this inventionconsists of -the novelifeatures and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter ,morevspecificall'y described,

illustrated in the 'drawings,::and;. more particularlypointed; ontin the; claimshereunto 'ap ended.

descrlbing the invention in detail, reference is had to the' accompanying drawings forming a, part of this specification wherein like numerals of reference indicate corre sponding parts throughout the several views and in which 2 Y Figure 1 is a perspectiveviewshowing the portion of the carcoulpler and my pipe couping draw-bar assemb ed for operation; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing two car coupler heads and two pipe coupling members in coupled engagement; Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing two car couplers, in. diflerent horizontal 1 planes, ,;and' two pipe coupling members in the same horizontal plane, both coupled; Fig. 4 is a vertical;central-section showing the; no ma position: of the roa ing relative tothe arm when uncoupled and Fig. '5

is .ewertiea central seotionshowi g the position of the rollerswith reference to the arm during the actof alinement.

I willnow describe one embodiment of my invention: The draw-bar head, 6, of the car coupler-may be of any type, preferably the M. (1.13. coupler, carried in any. suitable manner by the car structure and having its outer end supportejdbya transverse bar, 7, located a: suitable distance therear of the carcoupler head. A bracket, 8, having a relative y large aperture therethrough to permit lateral movement of the pipe coupling draw-bar therein, is secured to the under sideof thedraw-bar, 9, a considerable distance behind the bar,;7, and is designed to slidably' receive the rearward end of the pipe coupling draw-bar, 10. The bar, 10, is constructed witha depending-arm, 11-, onits forward- -end,; and the arm carries a pipe coupling member 12, 1 mounted a for sliding. movement thereorn The member, 12, is designedfor engagement with an-opposite correspondingly constructed, supported,and operatedcoupling member, 12, which, by reason of its being an exact duplicate, need not be, so particularly described. 7 It i will be understood that the descriptionof onemember applies also ,tothe other member. The front end, of ,the bar, 10, is supported by, a hanger,13,; carried at ,theunder side, of the substructure and adapted to permit a limited lateral movement of the forward end of the loan. 0,. in coup i g .9 when the cars are up on a, curve or curves of the track. The rearward movement; ofthebar, 0, is yie dably opposed bya spring element consisting of a sp ralspring earingat its rearend against the bracket, ,8, and atits forward end against the pin, 15. This suspension of the coupling member affords recession under of the opposite member, 12,; to compel the alinement ofthe members if they be in; any

degree disalined by reason of the variant heights of coupler positions, or for other causes, as the cars are brought together to automatically efiect the coupling of the cars and the train pipe couplings. The guide arm is pivoted at 18 and-has an elastic blade, 19, which constantly urges it in the direction of the parts 20, in the face of the pipe coupling member, 12. The casing, 23, is provided with an anti-friction element composed of a roller bearing, 24, at or near the upper end thereof. An additional roller bearing, 25, is placed near the "lower end of the casing. On reference to the drawings it will be seen that the opening through the casing is relatively greater in cross-section than the arm on which it is slidably mounted for the purpose of permitting more or less rotative movement and more or less fore and aft movement of the member 12 relatively to the arm 11. It will readily be seen that the draw bar, 10, has a movement with and a movement independently of the draw-bar of the car, 9. The rotatable bearings, 24 and 25, are adapted to contact with the forward and rearward surfaces, respectively, of the arm, 11.

The usual ports are provided in the face or front of members, 12, for air, signal and steam. The air, signal and steam hose are attached to the rearof the members, 12, in the usual or in any desired or suitable manner, or at 31-, 32 and 33. The segmental extensions, 34 and 35, on members, 12, afford additional gathering means in the act of coupling the members. The rearward movement of the draw bar, 10, is yiel'dably opposed by a suitable spiral spring, 14, intermediate pin, 15, and bracket, 8. This spring, preferably, is of suflicient cross-section and strength to maintain the bar, 10, parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bar, 9, when no deflecting force is applied to the bar, 10. When the coupling members, 12, are being uncoupled, the shoulders, 27, 28, will cause the faces or front surfaces of the members to reced'e from each other and thus avoid injury to the gaskets, 38, 39 and 40 in the ports of the members.

The roller bearing shown consists of a cylindrical rod in aperture 41 and 4:2. This aperture is through the two side walls of the casing and at right angles to the vertical axis thereof. The roller is provided with a cotter-pin, 43, through each end thereof to prevent withdrawal of the roller. The numeral, 44, denotes a removable pin through the aperture in the lower part of the arm, 11, to avoid the pipe coupling member dropping from the arm, and 45 represents a pin or bolt through the rear end of the drawbar, 10, to obviate withdrawal from the bracket, 8.

When the cars are brought together with a sharp impact upon their coupler heads, the shock is sustained largely by the car couplers as in the preferred form I attach the pipe coupling draw-bar to the under side of the car coupler drawbar.

It will be seen from the foregoing construction that the pipe coupling members will havevarious motions, among others the following: longitudinal motion with the car coupler; longitudinal motion relatively to the car coupler; lateral motion relatively to the car coupler; and vertical, rotative and fore and aft movements of the member relatively to the arm.

In operation it will be understood that as the members, 12, 12, are brought into contact in the act of coupling, the guide-arm on each member, if not in exact alinement, will first contact with the inner surface of one or the other of the guide-blades and compel alinement by adjusting the opposite member to the same horizontal plane, and if in exact alinement, then it will contact with the back of the member between the guide-blades and proceed to and between the rear or converging ends of the blades until the inwardly projecting shoulders, 27, 28, have advanced sufficiently to engage with the heel, 2?), 30, of the opposite member, when, by a lateral movement relative to one another, the gaskets in the faces of the members are brought into contact with the force of the spring, 11), on the arm, 18, which exert a constant pressure to retain the members in close contact to prevent the escape of air or steam between the opposed gaskets. It will be apparent that when the cars are uncoupled or separated, the pipe coupling members will pull apart without injury to the parts. By reason of the construction of the shoulders, 27, 28, when the members begin to be pulled apart the inclined engaging faces of the coupling members recede from each other and consequently no injury is done to the gaskets. It will be noticed the gaskets are not in the paths of the shoulders.

Variation in the form, arrangement and construction above described is possible, and I desire, therefore, not to limit my invention by the above description of the preferred form in which it has been embodied.

The subject matter disclosed and not claimed in this application is disclosed and claimed in my concurrent application filed February 20, 1908, Serial Number 416,928.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. The combination of a pipe coupling draw-bar having a depending arm at one end and a pipe coupling member constructed and arranged on said arm to permit substantially vertical movement thereon.

2. In a train pipe coupling, the combination of a pipe coupling draw-bar having a depending arm at one end and an elastic element-at the opposite end, and a pipe coupling member constructed and arranged on said arm -to permit substantially vertical movement thereon to afford alinement of said member with an opposing member.

3. A train pipe coupling comprising a pipe coupling draw-bar having a depending arm at one end and an elastic element at the opposite end, and a pipe coupling member having a substantially vertically disposed casing adapted to partly embrace said arm for slidable movement thereon.

4. In a train pipe coupling, the combination of a pipe coup ing draw-bar having a depending arm at one end, and a pi e coupling member, a substantially vertical y disposed casing and an anti friction element, said member being mounted for slidable movement on the arm to permit alinement of the member withan opposing member.

5. The combination of a pipe coupling draw-bar having a depending arm at one end, a pipe coupling member having a casing constructed and arranged on the arm to have substantially vertical movement thereon, and a plurality of rotatable bearings carried by the casing to facilitate prompt alinement of the member with an opposing member.

6. The combination with the substructure of a car with a front hanger and a rear bracket of a pipe coupling draw-bar having a;

depending arm at one end, a pipe coupling member and an anti-friction element, said member being mounted for slidable'movement on the arm.

7. The combination of a draw-bar of a car, a pipe couplingdraw-bar having a depending arm at one end, and a pipe coufiling member having a substantially vertica y disposed casing carrying a rotatable bearing adapted to contact with the arm to facilitate quick alinement of the member with an opposing member.

8. In a train pipe coupling, the combination of a pipe coupling draw-bar having an arm at one end, a pipe coupling member and an anti-friction element, said member being mounted for slidable movement on the arm.

9. In a train pipe coupling, the combination of a pipe coupling draw-bar having an arm at one end, a pipe coupling member and an anti-friction element, said member being loosely mounted on the arm and adapted to permit rotative movement relatively to the arm.

10. In a train pipe coupling, the combination of a pipe coupling draw-bar having an arm at one end, a pipe coupling member and an anti-friction element, said member being loosely mounted on the arm and adapted to permit fore and aftmovement relatively to the arm.

In .testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BOLESLAW R. KOZLOWSKI.

Witnesses:

S. ELRA KELLoGG, WILLIAM I. CRANFORD. 

